Andy Pandy returns, with no strings attatched

Classic children’s favourite Andy Pandy is to return to the screens with a new image after an absence of 28 years, it was announced today.

Using the latest animation techniques, the popular character will get a modern makeover shedding his puppet strings and leaving the playroom where he used to share adventures with pals Looby Loo and Teddy.

The decision to bring back the show, which first appeared in 1950, came following the success of the other children’s classic Bill and Ben.

The new look programme will see Andy and pals leave the confines of the playroom for adventures in a village, where they will be joined by a number of new friends.

But they will remain silent with a narrator guiding viewers through their adventures.

Manchester-based animators Cosgrove Hall have been commissioned to create the series, which is expected to hit the screens next year.

Executive Producer, Theresa Plummer Andrews, said: ‘‘Andy Pandy celebrates play which is as important and as relevant to pre-school children today as it has ever been. I am sure the series will find a place in children’s hearts.’’

Controller of BBC Children’s, Nigel Pickard, said the success of the return of other children’s classics, said: ‘‘The strength of Bill and Ben’s timeless appeal has been proved in the popularity of the new series. Andy Pandy’s characters share this appeal and I am delighted to be able to bring them back to a new audience.’’